Savoring life. Writing on experiences. Moments and milestones in equal measure.

Thursday, January 7, 2016

A Step by Step Guide to Netflix in Kenya

Netflix is now in
Kenya!

Yaaay! I know a lot of movie enthusiasts that are really excited by this
new development in TV content. So just to bring everyone to speed, I will try
and help you wrap your head around what is Netflix and how to enjoy it.

What’s Netflix?

Well in simple
terms Netflix is an on-demand internet media streaming service provider. They allow you
to stream TV episodes and movies at a standard fee per month. In Kenya they
have three packages costing US$7.99, US$9.99 and US$11.99 or – using current
exchange rates Kshs. 814, Kshs. 1,018 and Kshs. 1,222. These three packages have
distinct features as below

On you first
month, they will allow you to access the content without any charges. Now I
have to offer a disclaimer before I proceed.

Disclaimer 1 - Don’t think you get free content by using different
emails every month. You can’t. This is because before you get the free content
for a month you have to provide your payment details and unless you have ten
sets of identity you can’t go around using a different account every month.

What does Netflix offer in Kenya?

Well Netflix is a
global firm and so is their content. What people are watching in the US is the
same with what people are watching in Kenya. Netflix is mostly known for movies
and TV series. This means if you’re a movie junkie then Netflix is your thing.
It has all the imaginable TV series and movies. There are basically endless
hours of content that you can easily personalize content to your desired taste. These are
updated probably faster than you can keep up with. In addition, they have
documentaries and soap opera but not so much of them. You even get subtitles if
you want – a plus for the deaf. And you can resume watching from where you left off.

Disclaimer 2 – Not all
their content is in Ultra HD and HD and the quality at which you watch with
will largely depend on the strength of your internet connection. In fact I think most Kenyans will watch it in SD - standard definition. Let’s talk
internet later in this article.

Does Netflix have football?

Now for the
umpteenth time, Netflix does not have any live coverage of football nor
recorded football inarchives - at least not for now. You can’t watch your favorite EPL (English Premier League), La Liga and Bundesliga matches on
Netflix not abroad and definitely not in Kenya.

How do I pay for Netflix in Kenya?

Currently, the
options of paying for Netflix include using the Nakumatt global card, Visa card, MasterCard and PayPal – that is
as far as those living in Kenya are concerned. This is conceivably possible to
everyone with a functional bank account and an active Visa card or MasterCard.Preferably the MasterCard. The payment
is done on a monthly basis – and Netflix will automatically debit your bank account on a monthly basis so
you’ve to actually cancel the subscription online if you want to opt out.

Sharing Netflix passwords

Now here is the ultimate hack - you can share your login and password with other users. According to The Money the CEO of Netflix agreed that sharing passwords does not have any impact on their business. So it won't be a surprise if several users watch shows using one account. But there's a bummer to this, you can only watch four different videos on four different devices at the same time. That is actually the family package. It is also encouraged that the streaming be done in the same location aka 'Household' - not one in Kiambu in Central Kenya and the other in Shinyalu western Kenya :). However the rules on password sharing are not very clear on the do's and don't's but in the mean time just know 'sharing is sexy'.

What's best internet for Netflix in Kenya?

Now here lies the
real setback – Netflix works well with fast and reliable internet. Normally, you need speeds of at least 5Mbs to stream HD and 25Mbs
to stream Ultra HD. If you lack this
then you’re going to have to put up with poor quality video streaming and endless
buffering. Now that’s something a lot of Netflix users in Kenya will have to deal with. Here’s
the list of internet choices for you;

Zuku

Zuku is arguably
the most convenient internet provider when it comes to affordability and
streaming speeds. There’s a Zuku cable TV and internet package that you can use for Netflix
that costs Kshs. 2,799 which comes with number of TV stations and 1 Mbs
unlimited internet. There are other packages with faster speeds but you have to cough a little more cash. See them here.
However, Zuku fiber is not available everywhere. You can check the covered
locations in their website here .
Another problem with Zuku is that their customer care is not so caring.

Faiba – Jamii Telcom

Faiba is offered
by Jamii Telecom Ltd. The following are the packages offered.

You can obviously
tell that they are more pricey that Zuku. However they have great customer
service should your internet go down. In general Faiba is super-fast and has
minimal downtimes. See the speed comparison with Zuku here. Actually in comparison to Zuku - both with the same 10Mbs plan - Faiba will stream almost twice as fast as Zuku. As with Zuku, Faiba is also not accessible from everywhere. See if your location is covered here.

Safaricom and Airtel Kenya for Netflix

Well you can opt to
use Safaricom or Airtel internet to stream Netflix services. Let’s start with
Safaricom. The good is that they have 4G service which is fast enough for streaming.
The bad is that I can count the places with 4G coverage in Nairobi with my fingers. You
can use their 3G but that isn’t going to be wise considering the signal strength. Airtel on the other hand has
a very strong 3G network. You can opt to use their unlimited internet but it is
usually capped at around 20GB monthly for Kshs. 2,999. The problem with Airtel and Safaricom is that you'll be lucky to get HD streaming with their average speeds.

There are other satellite
internet providers in Kenya but then they are not as reliable as the above or
rather I have zero experience with them. You may try your luck with them and
come back and tell me how it went down.

So is Netflix in Kenya worthwhile?

The answer is Yes. However, you must have a strong internet connection and of course the capacity
to pay for their packages monthly. The alternative is to continue the good old
way of waiting for some time after the release of TV series and movies and getting them from the
movie guy.